


dream a little dream of me

by jessmariana



Category: The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Childhood OTP, Declarations Of Love, Derry Girls AU, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Post canon, Romance, Tenderness, also libby is the most supportive friend ever, but really, even though her friends are so dumb, i had so much fun writing this, soul mates if you will, they're actually the same person, this is almost entirely based on the prom episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:20:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24783772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessmariana/pseuds/jessmariana
Summary: When Cindy becomes fed up with waiting for Jimmy to make an official move, she makes a bold step to try to get over him. However, her plan doesn't go the way she'd hoped, and the night ends up drastically different from how she'd expected it to go.
Relationships: Jimmy Neutron/Cindy Vortex
Comments: 8
Kudos: 32





	dream a little dream of me

**i.**

“Alright, quiet down, just one final thing and then you can go,” Principal Pierson hushed the assembly room from his podium. A slight rustling of papers could be heard over the microphone. “An announcement from Betty Quinlan and the dance committee: this year’s prom is fast approaching, but before you don your glad rags and… boogie on down…” His southern drawl had become even more pronounced as he had spoken the last line.

Principal Pierson tilted his head at the paper, then across the audience of high schoolers. “I’m sorry, I simply cannot read this.” He handed the papers to Betty as he walked back to his seat on the stage.

Betty, who had been standing among other club leaders with announcements of their own, stepped forward with a cheerful smile.

“But before you don your glad rags and boogie on down, we’d like to let you in on our little secret. We’re not gonna have just any prom this year. We’re gonna have… a 50’s prom!”

The whole room burst into groans.

“I know, I know, but I do love a theme. Plus, this will give us a chance to show our pride for our little town of _Retro_ ville!” More groans, but Betty ignored them. “Now, this thing will have a real vintage, old school, _retro_ vibe, so feel free to just go for it.”

**ii.**

“Well, this is stupid.” Libby declared. “Not only do we have to find the perfect dress, but we have to match a theme now, too?”

Libby and Cindy walked ahead of Sheen, Carl, and Jimmy as they left the school.

“It’s hard enough trying to find one that someone else hasn’t already bought,” Cindy added. “And how many 50’s style dresses are available in-store? You better cross your fingers that they get your measurements right if you end up having to order one online.”

“You know, there isn’t even gonna be a DJ. Apparently Betty’s hired a band to specifically play retro music, so we can say goodbye to hearing any _current_ music.”

“Christ, really?” Cindy shook her head at the inconvenience.

Libby nodded. “I heard the band has a trumpet player.”

“Maybe it won’t be so bad,” Carl suggested.

“Doubt it’ll be good,” Libby said kicking a rock.

“I don’t feel so bad about missing it now.” Everyone stopped and looked at Jimmy. “It clashes with my thing,” he continued awkwardly.

“Wait, the convention?” asked Carl. “I thought that was the week after.”

“Seriously, Jimmy? You’re not coming to the PROM?” Sheen asked.

As Sheen tried to convince Jimmy to ditch whatever convention he was planning to go to over prom, Cindy felt herself slowly deflate. The realization that Jimmy wouldn’t even be attending the dance made her painfully aware that a small part of her had thought, hell _hoped_ , that he might ask her to go with him. Now that they were a little older, Cindy held tight onto the secret, tender moments they’d shared as kids. He could make her so angry, but his presence alone made her feel infinitely more comfortable with being herself. When she let her thoughts linger there, she felt a weird sense of peace, like things would be right if they let the next stolen moment become something more. The problem was that it had been a long time since the last stolen moment. The dance could’ve changed that.

It didn’t matter. So what if they never had another chance? Neutron had had plenty of opportunities to make a move—a real, substantial move toward a relationship—and he never had. She shouldn’t have to wait for him. She should get to do whatever she pleased, go out with whoever she pleased. Not that there had really been anyone else who showed an interest in her. Retroville wasn’t that big. Most guys knew who she was by connection to Neutron, and if they knew both of them, they probably had an idea about whatever “relationship” they had, either by rumor, or by reading between the lines while witnessing one of their trademark arguments. Sure, she had been approached by a few strangers, but she tended to scare anyone new away pretty quickly once they found out how smart she was, or how passionate she could get. It was always either her brain or her temper. Or Neutron.

Only Libby noticed the way Cindy had drifted away in her own thoughts.

“You know what?” Libby interrupted the boys. “I’ve changed my mind. I say we make the best of this shitshow. Let’s dress up in outfits that’ll set us back 50 years and get into the _retro_ spirit. It might actually be fun.” She looked at Cindy. “We can make it a girl’s night.”

“Hey, what about me?” Sheen waved his hands in the air.

“I’ll save a dance or a few for you,” Libby grinned.

Cindy had been quick to pull her demeanor together as soon as Libby had started talking. She smiled gratefully, willing the hurt away.

**iii.**

It turned out that Retroville had a few cute vintage shops. In retrospect, that made sense to Cindy. By mid-afternoon, Cindy and Libby had ended up in a place called Blue Velvet Vintage. The place was filled with clothing from all eras. The dress section took up most of the store, and was divided by era.

Libby and Cindy made their way to the 50’s section. They went through the racks carefully, hoping to find hidden gems among the majority, which were housewife dresses.

Fairly quickly, Libby found a dress that she was eager to try on.

“Can’t believe I’m saying this already, but I think this is the one.”

Libby stood in the doorway of the little dressing room. She wore a long, black dress with an off-the-shoulder cut. It was slim and hugged her figure perfectly. The manager of the shop brought over a pair of long white gloves for her, too.

“I already have a pair of heels I can wear. They’re modern, but I’ve already gone in enough with this outfit,” she told Cindy.

Cindy had a harder time finding a dress. Her head just wasn’t in it, but she tried for Libby. They pulled a couple of so-so dresses for Cindy to try on before they finally found one at the other end of the rack that she felt held actual promise. When she went into the dressing room, she started with that one, knowing that if this dress didn’t work, they might as well move on somewhere else.

“Yes, girl!” Libby gasped when Cindy walked out. “You look so good!”

The dress had thin straps, a fitted bodice, and a full, billowy skirt that twirled beautifully when Cindy spun. It was even bright emerald, her favorite color. She found a pair of heels in the 40’s section of the store and picked out a faux pearl bracelet from the glass case by the cash register. By the time they left Blue Velvet Vintage, Cindy felt a lot better about attending the dance. At least, until they went to the Candy Bar later on.

  
  


**iv.**

“Hey, you okay?”

Cindy snapped to attention. “Yeah, I’m fine. Great. Just dandy.”

They were sitting in their usual booth. Sheen, Carl, and Jimmy were up at the bar drinking milkshakes.

“You don’t look dandy,” Libby pressed. “Come on, Cindy. I know you’re upset Jimmy isn’t going to the dance.”

Cindy looked over at where Neutron sat. His mouth had broken into a smile, laughing at something Carl had said. The sight sent a shock wave of warmth through her.

“It’s fine. It doesn’t matter. I doubt he would’ve asked me to be his date anyway.”

“Hey, he may be one of the smartest people in the world, but he’s still a guy, and guys can be dense as hell. It’s not your fault if he can’t see the clock ticking.”

Cindy sighed. “You’re right. I’m just tired of waiting for him to make a move. And how ridiculous is that? Waiting for a guy to make the move. I’m more than capable of making moves for myself.”

Another voice broke through their conversation.

“I can’t do this anymore.”

“Why?”

Cindy looked at Libby, whose eyebrows were raised. Libby nodded to the next booth over. “Looks like someone’s having relationship issues of their own.”

Cindy listened closely. She hadn’t paid attention to whoever was sitting there when they walked in, and she couldn’t sneak a peek at whoever was arguing without it being obvious, but the voices seemed familiar. “It sounds like a breakup.”

Just then, she heard someone rise from the booth behind her. She watched as Juliet Bishop left the Candy Bar, not once glancing back. Seeing that, Cindy realized who must be behind her. She dared a quick look.

Nathan Decarlo sat facing Cindy, but he didn’t see her. He just looked off toward the exit, after Juliet.

Ignoring his present state of distress, Cindy thought Nathan had grown up to be quite handsome. He had curtained, sandy blonde hair and light blue eyes. Today, he wore a flannel over an AC/DC t-shirt, and like usual, he had his skateboard with him. Cindy had only shared a couple of classes with Nathan since entering high school, since she was mostly in APs, but she knew that he had been dating Juliet for almost a year. Juliet was among the more popular of the teenagers at Retroville High, whose sleek brown hair and perfect skin had earned her a few modeling gigs.

“She really just dumped him in _this_ place,” Libby said. “Damn.”

Cindy turned around. “He looks upset.”

“I would be too. He’s never gonna be able to come back here without remembering how he got dumped.”

Something inclined Cindy to look at Jimmy, who still sat among the other boys at the bar. She thought of the stolen moments, and felt how they were fleeting into nothing but tender, painful memories. Maybe she and Nathan could help each other here. Sure, she would have a hard time competing with a model—she might even need a different dress if it meant going out with Nathan—but it was worth a shot.

“Be right back,” she proclaimed, without giving Libby a chance to question her.

Nathan held his face in his hands. Cindy took a deep breath.

“Hey.”

He didn’t look up.

“Hey. Hey!”

“Jesus Christ,” he exclaimed, jumping in his seat.

“Sorry,” she held her hands out, surprised at her own outburst. She had garnered a few looks from customers nearby, including that of a particular boy at the bar. “What happened there was, well, I slightly misjudged the level of my own voice, I think.”

“You’re cool,” Nathan briefly met her eyes. “I was in a world of my own.”

“Everything okay?” Cindy slipped into the booth, across from him.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“You sure?”

“Oh, yeah,” he nodded, seeming distracted by the napkin dispenser.

“Really? It’s just, I couldn’t help but notice that you and Juliet might have been breaking up a bit there.”

“Yeah. I mean it’s all cool,” he shrugged.

“Really?” Cindy sat up, feeling like she might actually be able to get somewhere with this.

“It was mutual. It was definitely a mutual thing,” he tried to reassure, then his eyes got that faraway look again. “Although maybe she wanted to mutually split up a bit more than I did.”

 _Well, this was for nothing,_ Cindy thought. “I see.”

“Now, I’m just not sure it was the right decision. We just got each other, you know. I mean she’s so cool, and smart.” With every word, Cindy felt a familiar pang of dejection, for more than one reason. “And she’s a model, for Christ’s sake.”

“Right… well, maybe you can take your mind off of it.”

Nathan nodded, willing himself to agree. “Okay, yeah. Sure. Cool.” He stopped, frowning. “How?”

“Go to prom with me,” she blurted. “Neither of us have dates and it could be nice. It wouldn’t have to be like a date, either, just like a casual, friends thing. Not a big deal _at all_.”

**v.**

Cindy stepped out of her dressing room stall. She looked at herself in the mirror hanging next to Libby—who was seated on a bench—as she patted down the creases in the eighth dress she had tried on at this store. “What do you think of this one?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure it’s _you_ , really. In fact, I don’t think any of these have been you.”

“Good. I don’t wanna be me.”

Libby looked at her friend incredulously. “Cindy, I really don’t understand why you can’t wear your other dress. It’s cute and actually on theme, unlike all of the dresses you’ve tried on here.”

Libby had a point about the theme part, at least. This dress was totally different from the first one she’d bought. The thing was a golden glitter storm, a mermaid dress with a slit and a deeper neckline than Cindy had ever worn in public before.

“Alright, this one isn’t exactly retro, but it’s bound to make an impression on Nathan, and that’s what matters.”

“Girl, what?” Libby stood up from the bench she’d been resting on for the better part of an hour. “I’m not saying you don’t look amazing, but I know you didn’t just imply that a random guy’s opinion is the only one that matters.”

“Libby-”

“No, Cindy. You shouldn’t have to _try_ to impress anyone. You should just be you.”

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Cindy crossed her arms, searching for a way to make her words make sense. “It’s just… this is the first guy who already knows me that has agreed to go out with me. He didn’t even mention anything about Neutron. He probably just knows me as the smart girl. And I don’t feel bad about that—about being smart—I just want him to know that there are other good things about me. I want to show him another side of me.”

“All I’m saying is, if he isn’t already impressed by you, he’s an idiot. And you shouldn’t have to dress a certain way to be liked.” Libby’s stare bore into Cindy like the ocean on a cliffside. Cindy turned back to her stall before it could wear her down.

“Thanks Lib. Hopefully he’s not an idiot.”

**vi.**

“Hey, Libby,” Jimmy called in the hallway at school.

“Hey, Jimmy. How’s it going?” She let him catch up, but continued walking toward her next class.

“Um, fine. I actually wanted to ask you about something.”

Libby eyed him curiously. “Go ahead.”

“Okay so, um, it’s about the other day, at the Candy Bar. Cindy was talking to Nathan Decarlo. He looked upset about something, and then he didn’t after she talked to him. And I thought she looked different, too, after that, so... what was that about?”

“Why are you asking me, Jimmy?”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Because I know you know.”

“Yeah, I do know. But I’m not the one you should be asking.”

“You would tell me if it weren’t a big deal,” he surmised.

“You’re right,” she said, stopping outside her class. “I would.”

With that, Libby walked into her 3rd period class and Jimmy scrambled to get to his own as his mind whirled with ideas about what that conversation he’d witnessed but not heard could’ve been about.

**vii.**

Cindy had one last good look at herself in the mirror. Most of her blonde hair was pulled back in her usual ponytail while her bangs lay flat on her forehead after an ill attempt at trying to do something with them. A few longer strands hung loose, framing her face nicely. She had been able to curl these pieces and the ends of her ponytail. Cindy hoped that her makeup would make up for the lack of a retro outfit. She had applied a near perfect cat eye by her third attempt at it. Her cheeks were rosy and her lips bright red.

She still wasn’t exactly comfortable in the new dress, but she thought it looked pretty good. If anything, with this look, she could definitely give Juliet Bishop a run for her money, although a literal run was out of the question in the strappy heels she had chosen.

“What do you think?”

Her mom and dad looked up from where they sat on the sofa.

“A gorgeous dress for a gorgeous girl.”

“You look beautiful, hun,” her dad agreed. “Although that dress is more revealing than I expect-”

“Hush, darling. It’s fine,” her mother waved him off.

“I know, I just thought I’d go out of my comfort zone.”

“Hush, hush, Cynthia. You look perfect.”

Cindy looked at the grandfather clock. It read 6:45 pm.

“Nathan should be here at 7. I’ll just wait down here with you guys.”

Cindy sorta wished that she and Libby had stuck with the plan for a girls' night, but Libby and Sheen were in a relationship. Cindy didn’t want to take this experience away from them. They could spend the rest of the night together once she got there.

**viii.**

The clock read 7:10 pm. Her mother stood with her hands on her hips, peering out the window.

“I wonder how this boy expects to excuse his lateness.”

“It’s fine, mom. I’m sure he just got stuck in traffic or something.”

“I’ve certainly had days where I hit every red light possible on my way home from work. Perhaps that’s it,” her dad encouraged.

Her mother scoffed. “Respectable young men don’t make ladies wait on them.”

Cindy sighed, willing her date to get there faster.

**ix.**

It was 7:30 pm when her phone rang.

“Hello?”

“Cindy! Where are you?” Libby asked.

“Home.”

“ _Home?_ Cindy, you haven’t left yet?”

“No... Nathan hasn’t shown up. I honestly don’t think he’s even coming at this point.”

“Oh, girl... I’m sorry. I’m- Sheen hold on, I’m talking to Cindy. I’m sure he will. Just... hold on, okay? Are you still wearing your dress?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Don’t change yet. The night is young, I’m sure I’ll be seeing you soon.”

Cindy was doubtful, but she didn’t argue.

**x.**

The clock chimed. 8 pm.

“He’s not coming.”

“Oh darling.” Her mother reached for her hand across the sofa, but Cindy pulled away.

“I want to get out of this thing,” she said, rising.

Cindy got all the way to the hallway before she let herself give into the ache in her chest, just a little. She shut her eyes tight and breathed in deep, willing the tears to not come all at once.

It wasn’t just tonight that made her feel like this. She tried so hard at everything, excelled in every aspect of her life, but not this. Here, she wasn’t even given a chance.  
As Cindy ascended the stairs, she pondered what movie and snack pairing she should have to distract herself from the night she was having. Then the doorbell rang.

Cindy quickly wiped away the tears that had escaped her will and made her way back down. Steeling herself, she opened the door.

Cindy let out a small gasp, surprised to see Jimmy standing there, wearing a suit and a sheepish grin. He looked a little taken aback too, glancing down at her dress. She didn’t have the energy to make a comment about that right then. But why did he think she would be home by now?

“Libby called me.”

 _Ah._ “But what about your convention?”

“It’s not important,” he said surely, with a gentleness in his eyes that assured her he must’ve meant it. “Shall we go?”

It was almost too embarrassing, almost too good to be true. She smiled.

“Can you give me one minute?”

He nodded, and she held the door open for him to wait inside.

Cindy beamed as she made her way upstairs. Once in her room, she unbuckled her shoes and threw them aside. She replaced her long golden dress with the emerald 50’s dream she actually loved, and slipped on the faux pearl bracelet. Before walking out, she slipped on the black heels she’d gotten with the dress, and a black handbag from the hook on her door.

Cindy was still smiling when she started down the stairs. About halfway down, she saw that her parents had joined Jimmy in the hall, but she also saw Jimmy’s smile widen significantly when he saw her. That made her heart leap.

“What happened to the gold dress?” her mother asked.

“I wanted to be comfortable,” Cindy replied simply.

“Well, I like this one. You kids have fun.”

“Thanks, dad.”

“Not too much fun.”

“ _Okay,_ mom.”

It was no secret that her mom wasn’t Jimmy’s biggest fan after putting her daughter’s life at risk all the time, let alone the world. Sasha Vortex kissed her daughter on the cheek. “Go on.”

Cindy looked at her mom, appreciative of the gesture, then at Jimmy, who opened the front door for her.

When they were alone on the porch, a certain matter dawned on her.

“Hey, how are we getting to the dance?”

“Oh, I’m sure you can guess that one pretty easily, Vortex.”

Cindy didn’t have to look hard for the hovercraft.

“Fastest way to travel, and you don’t even have to put the windows down to feel the breeze in your hair.”

“Ha-ha,” Cindy feigned halfheartedly. In truth, whatever could get her to the prom fastest was welcomed after already missing an hour of it.

Jimmy held out a hand for her to hold as she got in. She thanked him as she took it, careful to not misstep and end up falling.

Once they were in the air, she asked him why.

“Why what?”

“Why did you show up?” Her heart was beating fast. “You were busy. I wouldn’t have even known if you told Libby no. She could’ve picked me up. Why did you?”

“Because... because you didn’t deserve to be alone. Because I couldn’t face myself in the mirror tomorrow if I let you be alone when I knew I could’ve done something about it. Because...”

Cindy let him have a moment to form the words for whatever was coming next, keeping her eyes on the moon ahead of them.

“Because... I should’ve just asked you to go to prom with me in the first place.”

Cindy quickly turned to look at him. He met her gaze.

“What?”

“I should have asked you to go with me,” he continued cautiously. “I had thought of asking you, but I thought maybe you wouldn’t want to. We’ve been friends for so long—you know, nothing else for a few years, now—that I didn’t want to mess with that if that’s what you wanted to be. You know, just friends. Not that that’s a _bad_ thing, if that’s what you want. I planned my trip to the convention because I thought it would help me feel better if I had a distraction.”

She blinked at him. He had wanted to ask her. The idiot actually thought she wasn’t interested anymore. And he’d swooped in and saved the day when she ended up alone because of it. The wonderful, noble idiot.

He searched her face for a response. “Cindy?”

“Did it help? Did it distract you?”

Jimmy looked at the passing buildings. “No, it didn’t.”

Just then, they arrived.

**xi.**

Prom was being held in a hotel ballroom. When Jimmy and Cindy entered the venue, they were met with a blast from the past. As promised, a full band was on a stage at the front of the room, playing an easygoing tune that Cindy thought she might’ve recognized from the jukebox at the Candy Bar. After listening a bit, she realized the singers were actually pretty good. Balloons were tethered together and strung around the whole room, and lights were strung across the ceiling. White tablecloths covered the tables spread around the room, topped with flower centerpieces.

They walked around the edge of the room until they spotted their friends. When they approached the others on the dance floor, Jimmy and Cindy were tackled with hugs.

“You guys are here!”

“Finally!”

“It wasn’t the same without you guys!”

Once the boys both focused on Jimmy, Libby pulled Cindy aside.

“I’m so glad you’re here, Cin. Are you okay?”

“Thanks to you, I am,” she said, squeezing her friend’s hand.

“And you came here with Jimmy, so...?” Libby smiled, raising an eyebrow.

“So, more than okay. Thank you for calling him, Libby. I would’ve been huddled up in my room with ice cream right now if you hadn’t.”

“What are friends for? Come on.”

They joined the boys on the dance floor where Carl and Sheen were trying to show Jimmy how to dance like they were actually in the 50’s. When Jimmy saw Cindy approaching, his cheeks reddened and he excused himself to go get some punch.

A few dances and some food later, Cindy and Jimmy sat at a table with empty plates in front of them. From their seats, they could see their friends dancing merrily. One would’ve thought they were excited about the 50’s theme from the start. Jimmy had avoided dancing most of the night, save for a few songs when the group physically would not let him leave until the song was over. Cindy didn’t let herself dwell on it too long. She’d spent most of the night dancing with Libby. She’d even danced with Carl, who was actually a pretty good partner. At one point while she was getting water, a few girls had surrounded her to ask why she’d shown up late with Neutron and was Neutron her date and were they dating finally, and Cindy had to stop herself from literally running away. She told them he was her date for tonight and left it at that. She couldn’t have given a clearer answer if she tried, but now she felt a little paranoid about who might be watching them sit there in silence.

A trumpet played a pretty tune as the band started a new song. Cindy searched for something to say. “So, are you-”

“Do you want to dance?” he blurted.

Cindy froze, her mouth open.

He straightened his shoulders, meeting her eyes now. “Dance with me?”

Cindy nodded, and Jimmy rose to offer her his hand. She took it easily. His hand was warm and firm in hers. He led her near the center of the dance floor. He clearly felt awkward when confronted with figuring out where to put his hands, so she placed them for him. With his hands on her hips, she placed her own on his shoulders. As they began to dance, the singers joined up in duet.

_Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you_

_Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you_

_But in your dreams whatever they be_

_Dream a little dream of me_

They lost themselves in the music. His eyes stayed on hers as they moved to the tune. They were subconsciously moving closer together. His hand tightened a little on her waist. Cindy could feel his breath on her lips, which meant he probably felt her breath on his.

Cindy moved her hands closer to his neck. She felt his shoulders tense, just a little, before he relaxed them again. Then Jimmy let go of her waist with one of his hands. Tenderly, he tucked a strand of hair away from her face. In turn, she raised her hands to his face, her touch causing him to close his eyes. He turned slightly toward one of her palms, holding her hand with the one he had used to tuck away her hair, and placed a small kiss there.

_Stars fading but I linger on dear_

_Still craving your kiss_

_Now I'm longin' to linger till dawn dear_

_Just saying this_

She was watching his lips when he opened his eyes. They weren’t really dancing anymore, rather swaying in place. She hadn’t been this close to him in years. They fit so well, she could hardly come up with a reason for why they had stayed apart. It felt so silly now. Looking back up into his deep blue eyes, it seemed as though he had the same thought.

She heard him whisper her name, and that was it. She surged forward, kissing him with all the longing of those wasted years. His lips met hers fervently as he pulled her against him. She felt him smile against her lips, and a little laugh of joy escaped her. If he felt even half of the happiness she did that they were finally doing this after she had thought it was completely over earlier that afternoon, then he must’ve been feeling pure bliss.

What had started so passionately began to change into something softer. Jimmy moved from her lips and placed kisses on her cheeks, her nose, her forehead. She laughed, pushing him away, softly. “Jimmy.”

With that, he kissed her once more, a thorough, firm kiss, though just as soft as all of the others he had just placed on her face. Then he pulled back, speaking quickly.

“I want to be with you," he blurted. “There’s never been anyone who made me feel like this but you. You’re smart and passionate and beautiful and you’re just,” he stammered, “you’re you. You’re you and you’re perfect and I’ve missed you and us and the way we understand each other the way no one else does and I- I don’t know what else to say except that I just need you and I want you and this.”

Again, he had left her in awe. Cindy couldn’t do anything in that moment but pull him into an embrace. She held him tightly, swaying with the music and he hugged back warmly, following her lead. When she finally let go, she placed her hands on his shoulders.

“It’s always been you,” she told him. “And as someone who’s been to a few different corners of the universe all because of a certain _someone_ , I can confidently say that there’s not another person out there who could ever compare, not with you, and not with us.”

Jimmy laughed. “Always the competitive one.”

“Says the _most_ competitive one.”

**xii.**

When Jimmy and Cindy arrived outside her home after the dance, he helped her step out of the hovercraft. He offered her his arm and they walked together to her doorstep. They lingered there a while, not wanting to let the night drift away.

Cindy began to shoulder off his jacket. He’d given it to her so she’d be warm while in the hovercraft, but he stopped her, pulling it back tenderly around her shoulders.

“Keep it for tonight.”

“Thank you,” she replied shyly. He brought his hand to her cheek and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips. When he broke away, he pressed his forehead to hers.

“I'll miss you,” he said.

“You'll see me tomorrow.”

"I'll still miss you."

She kissed him once more, feather light. "Good night, Jimmy." She stepped backward, reaching for the front door. Before retreating inside, she gazed at him, committing the sight of Jimmy Neutron on her doorstep, in a suit, and absolutely smitten, to memory.

"Good night, Cindy," he breathed, lovingly.

And she did feel loved.

**Author's Note:**

> The song Cindy recognizes the band playing as being from the jukebox at the Candy Bar, which isn't named, is called A Teenager in Love by Dion & the Belmonts. The song playing when Jimmy asks her to dance is Dream A Little Dream of Me by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. And the song I imagined coming on after they kissed, which I listened to while writing this as well, is Put Your Head On My Shoulder by Paul Anka.  
> I hope you enjoyed this little post-canon au story. If you did, please give it a kudos and leave a comment telling me something you liked or whether you geeked out over it the way I did.  
> While this story is based on episode 2x5 of Derry Girls, I also want to give a shout-out to t00manyfeels, whose story It's Not Important inspired the climax of this one. If you're a fan of Derry Girls, go check it out. It's amazing!!


End file.
